Carl Van Vechten [Fairmount Park, Philadelphia]

Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880 – December 21, 1964), original silver gelatin print of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA. 

This unsigned, vintage Van Vechten image, features the photographer's original credit stamp on its verso along with the title "Rhododendrons in Fairmount Park," unique roman numeral archive number "XXII mi 30,"  and printing date "May 22 1938," all in the artist's hand. The photograph measuring approximately 7 x 10 inches, printed on a thick weight matte stock, is in fine condition aside from some minor age wear, soiling and its original slightly irregularly trimmed edges.

Van Vechten, the celebrated American writer and photographer, was the literary executer of Gertrude Stein and a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance movement. He captured iconic images of all the key members in the worlds of Art, Theater, Music, and Literature. Van Vechten viewed his photography as a hobby; he never took commissions, he never sold photographs. He would grant permission to publish them, but had strict requirements to do so. He was a prominent fixture in 20th century photography collections with his work being included in such institutions as The Library of Congress, The Museum of The City of New York and The Smithsonian Institution.

Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with 9,200 acres (3,700 ha), all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010. Fairmount Park is home to a large collection of public art, largely due to the efforts of the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association), a non-profit organization founded in 1872 to embellish Fairmount Park with outdoor sculpture, including the Florentine Lions installed in 1887. The Art Association continues to commission and care for a large number of sculptures, in coordination with the park and city. In 2007, the Art Association installed Iroquois by Mark di Suvero near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.